Diet- Induced Atherosclerosis/Hypercholesterolemia in Rodent Models

文档简介Diet-InducedAtherosclerosis/HypercholesterolemiainRodentModelsBriefScientificLiteratureReview-October2008byMichaelA.Pellizzon,Ph.D.SeniorScientist,ResearchDiets,Inc.Atherosclerosisisacomplexchronicdiseasecharacterizedbytheaccumulationoflipidswithinarterialwallsthateventuallygoontoformplaques,whichcancausenarrowing,hardening,and/orcompleteblockageofarteries.Onewellknownriskfactorinhumansishypercholesterolemia(i.e.elevatedtotalcholesterol(TC)andlow-densitylipoproteincholesterol(LDL-C))(1),andotherimportantcontributorstothisdiseaseincludeinflammation,oxidativestress,andinsulinresistance(2,3).Foodshighindietarysaturatedfat(SF)andcholesterol(i.e.“Western-typediets”)havebeenlinkedtoelevationsincirculatingcholesterollevels(inparticular,LDL-C)(4),promptingtherecommendationthathumanslimittheintakeofthesedietaryconstituents(1).Likehumans,Western-typedietscaninduceelevatedLDL-Candatherosclerosisincertainrodentmodels(i.e.mice,hamsters,guineapigs).erefore,theuseofsuchdietsforpromotingatherosclerosisinthesemodelshasbeenavaluabletoolforbothgainingmoreunderstandingofthisdiseaseandtestingtherapiesthatcanpotentiallyreverseit.